Today's best bets

1) Night to follow day

2) Ben Hur in the 3.40 at the Circus Maximus (nap)

3) Death

4) Taxes

Er, that's it. It's Good Friday and there is no horse racing in Britain or Ireland, though other sports (football, rugby union, rugby league) are ploughing on regardless. And in France and America, countries where there is no shortage of religious belief, there is some quite high-quality horse racing.

In this country, there would now be quite a lot of opposition from racing insiders to the suggestion that we should be racing on Good Friday, since there are two well-established 'open days' at Lambourn and Middleham that would be threatened if the stables concerned were in working mode.

That would be a pity, but any sport that's making a proper effort to engage the public has to be offering itself when people are free to go / watch / bet. Most betting shops opened for the first time on a Good Friday last year and did brisk business, even in the absence of gee-gees. The same will happen today, so racing is clearly missing an open goal - instead of generating some income, the sport is pushing gamblers into the arms of other sports and allowing bookies to feel they can rub along without it.

Never mind. There is at least one classy horse running today and that is Naaqoos in the Prix Djebel at Maisons-Laffitte. Trained by Freddy Head, he's 5-1 with some firms for the 2,000 Guineas and this is his trial. He was a highly impressive winner of the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at last year's Arc meeting, when Guineas favourite Mastercraftsman was disappointing in defeat, and he's easily the best horse in the race.

Whether he'll actually win is another matter. Today really is just a prep run and Head has made no bones about the fact that the horse will be fitter for it. He'll probably win anyway and hot favourites have a good recent record in this race but I reckon there might be a smidgen of value about Le Havre (2.05).

Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, this one was unbeaten in two starts last year before failing to cope with heavy going on his last outing, a Group One in November. The form of his previous win has worked out very well and he might be decent. The yard is already among the winners, having landed a Group Two at Longchamp on Sunday, so Le Havre could be ready to spring a surprise if Naaqoos is short of his best. The 6-1 on Betfair is worth a minor involvement.

We'll have more news throughout the day, including the latest on Monday's Irish National.

2.20pm A 6-1 winner for Talking Horses!

Le Havre edges Naaqoos in the Djebel, stunning Jason Weaver in the At The Races studio after the Classic-winning former jockey introduced the race with the words: "Let's see this bolt up".

Well, Naaqoos didn't do that and Freddy Head may be a little disappointed - his horse got a soft lead but didn't respond immediately when asked to quicken and Le Havre seemed the one with a readier turn of foot.

Of course, today was never meant to be the day for Naaqoos, so let's keep this in perspective. He'll be better next time, he'll be better behind a stronger pace and he may well be better over a mile, as opposed to this seven furlongs.

But Talking Horses doesn't have to worry about that - we had the winner today. Still, bad luck to anyone who lumped on the 1-3 Naaqoos.

2.45pm Elusive Wave lands the Imprudence

That's a double in the big races at Maisons-Laffitte for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget and jockey Christophe Lemaire as Elusive Wave is an easy winner of the Prix Imprudence. Allowed a soft lead by her rivals, the filly did what Naaqoos was expected to do and accelerated away from them in the last two furlongs, with Entre Deux Eaux running on appealingly in second.

Elusive Wave, who ran once for Richard Hannon last year before joining Rouget, seems sure to have a big future.

2.55pm Naaqoos now doubtful for Guineas

Freddy Head was indeed expecting better from his colt in the Djebel. "He will improve but I haven't made up my mind whether we are going to go to Newmarket," the trainer said. "Right now I would say it looks a bit doubtful, as I am disappointed with that run. We'll get him home and see how he is but I would say Newmarket is doubtful."

Having been 5-1 this morning for the Classic, Naaqoos has been trading at bigger than 25-1 on Betfair in the past half-hour, though he now seems to be settling in the high teens.

7pm Full field of 30 for the Irish National

After the final declaration stage for Monday's Irish National, 30 horses are left in the race. You can see the runners here.

Notre Pere has been declared but his participation depends on Jim Dreaper, his trainer, being satisfied that the going is soft enough. If the horse is withdrawn more than an hour before Monday's race, the weights will go up 7lb, leaving Wichita Lineman on top weight of 7lb.

There are two other British challengers - Ferdy Murphy's Poker De Sivola and Bob Buckler's Niche Market, neither of which has an obvious chance.